Guenther Steiner explains why he never tried to sign Carlos Sainz to race for Haas

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Carlos Sainz has been the focus of the Formula 1 driver’s market for months after losing his Ferrari seat before the 2024 campaign even started.

Suddenly, a top-level driver was not only available but looked unlikely to join another championship-chasing manufacturer, all of a sudden Carlos Sainz looked set to make his way further down the paddock than he would have liked.

Williams were the team that ultimately benefitted from his availability after months of chasing the 29-year-old.

Sainz explained his concerns about joining Williams to team principal James Vowles but when he assessed his options, heading to Grove was seen as his best option.

Speaking on the RacingNews365 Podcast, former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner was talking about the Spaniard’s career.

Haas are actually ahead of Williams in the Constructors’ Championship this season which many wouldn’t have expected based on their recent form.

However, it didn’t appear as though Haas were ever in the conversation to hire the three-time race winner even before they had replaced Nico Hulkenberg or Kevin Magnussen.

Steiner has now explained why he never moved to try and sign Sainz during his time as a Formula 1 team principal.

He joked about his close relationship with Sainz’s father who is also a world-class driver and someone Steiner has worked closely with in the past.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz’s life outside F1 from full name, girlfriend and height

Guenther Steiner explains why he never tried to sign Carlos Sainz for Haas

Asked if he ever tried to sign Sainz, Steiner said: “No, I didn’t try, I worked too long with his father!

“I didn’t want to, I worked in rallying for a long time with Carlos Sr. we are good friends Carlos Sr. and me.

“But at the time Carlos had better options than Haas.”

Haas have had relatively stable driver pairings throughout their time in Formula 1.

Romain Grosjean, Esteban Gutierrez, Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher are the only permanent drivers that the team has had since 2016 besides Magnussen and Hulkenberg.

Bringing in Sainz would have been a serious coup at any stage of his career, but finances and the stature of the team would have made any move very difficult.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Haas F1 Team from team principal to Ferrari relationship

Carlos Sainz part of Williams’s long-term plan to reach the top of Formula 1

When Sainz signed for Williams, Vowles made it clear that the British team wouldn’t be a stepping stone for the 29-year-old.

There was previously talk of Sainz having a special release clause in his contract should either Mercedes or Red Bull come calling.

However, this doesn’t fit with Vowles’s vision for the team and would have likely put him off finalising a move.

Williams were interested in Valtteri Bottas who is typically in favour of longer contracts which would have suited Vowles, but the opportunity to bring in Sainz ultimately pushed the Finn down their shortlist.

It’s up to Williams to build a car that’s up to Sainz’s expectations and the Spaniard to continue delivering strong performances even if he’s regularly fighting in the midfield.